James Sands addressed the media for the first time since coming back to New York City FC and signing a long-term contract extension this summer.
The Rye, New York native had both of his seasons on loan with FC St. Pauli in Germany cut short by serious season-ending leg injuries, and at the end of St. Pauli's 2025/26 season, in which the club got relegated out of the top-flight Bundesliga, they said goodbye to Sands and acknowledged that his time in Hamburg wouldn't continue.
There wasn't that long of a wait when it came to figuring out the next move for Sands, as New York City FC announced his return on June 18, on a contract that keeps Sands tied to his boyhood club potentially through the 2030/31 season.
While discussing his move from a top European league back to MLS, Sands said, "I feel like I've had good experiences in Europe. I've seen what I wanted to see both at Rangers and St. Pauli so you know I'm never gonna close that door for certain, but I think now is such a good time to be in New York."
Sands then cited the opening of Etihad Park on July 17, 2027, plus the strong NYCFC team being built heading into it, as motivations for his return, while adding that he's happy to be back "for the time being," perhaps leaving the door slightly open to another transfer out, should that interest materialize.
The Homegrown midfielder and defender was honest about the role his injuries and his back-to-back rehabs for St. Pauli played in the decision to move back to the United States. "Going through the injuries was really tough for me," Sands admitted during his media availability.
"When you're in Europe, you're far away from home, you're far away from your family, but when you're playing week-in, week-out in a top league, nothing beats that. When that's not happening and you're sitting in the gym alone doing the rehab, you have a lot of moments where you think, 'I would like to be closer to home,' 'I'd like to be in a club that I love, and that I've started at.' I think the injuries made me think a little bit about what's really important," said Sands.
The good news, despite the difficulties created by his two consecutive season-ending injuries, is that Sands declared himself fit and ready for this second half of the 2026 MLS season.
"I feel really good physically, I'm in a good place now, it's been nice to have a three-, four-week lead-in to our first game. I've been able to build some fitness, get to know the guys a little bit, so I'm feeling good and I'm really happy to get going again, it's a good group, I've enjoyed working with Pascal so far, just happy to be back at it," Sands said of his second return to NYCFC.
Sands being back to good health is good news for a New York City FC team that still remains mired in something of an injury mess as they emerge from the 2026 FIFA World Cup break.
